


Marked Patience

by caidanu (Zanya)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood, Blood Drinking, Fantasy, Frottage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-13
Updated: 2013-11-13
Packaged: 2018-01-01 08:30:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1042609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zanya/pseuds/caidanu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto was turned against his will by a vampire and left to fend for himself. He is brought before Itachi, a king amongst vampires for his fate to be decided.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marked Patience

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Daydreamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamer/gifts).



Itachi sat on his throne, waiting for the large double doors in front of the room to open. The pale solid ivory walls only made his mood feel more morose. It seemed like too much time had passed since he sent out Sasuke’s team to bring back a feral vampire that was on the loose. The soft fabric on his chair cushion eased some of the tension in his back. When he glanced out the large window to his right, he noticed that the moon had risen to mid sky, its large and luminous body casting a shadow across his body. 

Rumors had started a week ago about a young human who had been turned against his will. After that the rumors went into detail about how the young vampire had trouble adjusting. Something normal considering he had never been given a choice nor had anyone to help him through those first difficult weeks of adjusting to his new body and thirst. 

In the past that normally would have meant an automatic death sentence for the new vampire since those turned against their will usually went crazy. He had seen it too many times to believe it might go differently, though there always was a chance if the person turned had a strong enough personality they could overcome the problems that came with their new state of being. 

More than anything that was what Itachi wanted to find out. So he had sent out the order for the vampire to be brought to him. Then he would see and pass his judgment. His treaties with the humans needed to be maintained first and foremost. If he couldn’t get this situation under control soon, he’d have a big problem on his hands. 

“Lord, Itachi,” Suigetsu came bursting in through the door, his boots clicking off the polished marble floor. He was covered in cuts and bruises and his gray outer trench coat had a large tear down the middle of it. “The vampire slipped through our fingers again.”

Itachi closed his eyes and ignored the smell of Suigetsu’s blood. It urge to taste it pulsed through him, making his head throb. Sighing, he calmed himself and thought for a moment. Something had to be done with this new vampire regardless of how he felt. And the fact that he needed to feed would have to wait. 

Standing up, Itachi took his cloak from the arm rest and put it on. “Where was he last seen?”

“He was last seen in the west side of the city, near the slums.” Sasuke strode into the room, answering before Suigetsu could. He looked annoyed but otherwise fine nor was he near as dirty as Suigetsu. Itachi felt relief wash through him that at least Sasuke hadn’t been injured. “Don’t worry about going. I’ll bring him in for you.”

“You don’t have to do that, Sasuke.” Itachi tied his cloak shut and walked down the red carpet, towards the door. “I’m perfectly capable of handling this myself.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and frowned. “I know that, but I want to be the one to bring him in. Look,” His hand reached out and gripped Itachi’s shoulder, “He almost took out my entire team. I should have been there to stop him. I’m partially responsible for this mess and what he did to my team.”

“Sasuke, I don’t think—” Itachi began. 

“Don’t take this away from me, Itachi,” Sasuke hissed, his voice barely maintaining its normal tone. “You shouldn’t be the one going after a wild animal like this anyway. Your life is too important for errands like this. You should be here, managing things from a distance. Let us do our job.”

“Alright, you can bring him to me.” Itachi frowned, knowing he had to concede to that point. It wouldn’t do if he was hurt. So he turned around and walked away from his brother. “I don’t want you to seriously injure him. He’s already had enough to struggle with. It will only complicate things more if he comes to me half dead.”

“Fine. Whatever,” Sasuke coolly replied, and Itachi was certain he was resisting the urge to argue. “I’ll bring him to you and in one piece even though it would be easier if you would let me kill him.”

Itachi straightened his back, knowing that it was a futile attempt at intimidation but couldn’t stop himself from doing it. Sasuke was not only a few inches taller than him, but his knew better than to be afraid. “You know I don’t pass judgment on another one of our kind until I’ve met them. You of all people should understand why.”

“How long are you going to keep the past from allowing you to make a decisive decision?” Sasuke snarled. “It’s been long enough that you need to move on from it or else someone important to you is going to get killed.”

“That’s enough Sasuke,” Itachi raised his voice so that his brother knew there’d be no room for argument. “It’s my decision to make. Please respect that.”

Sasuke only gave a curt nod and waved his hand for Suigetsu to follow him. “You heard him. Let’s go hunt down this twit for our _Lord_.”

Itachi walked towards the window and let out a heavy sigh. Now all he could do is wait. And Sasuke’s words stung a little even though he knew his brother didn’t really mean any harm. Still it was hard to forget the dead even when he knew he probably risked more by taking his time to think before reacting and handing out punishments. 

Looking out at the moon, Itachi remembered those days well. His father had always been swift with judgment in order to protect their coven, but often times, vampires that could have been reformed were killed without being given a chance. Itachi had suffered an inexcusable loss from it and vowed he would never make the same mistake. 

Now that he was King, he understood why Fugaku had ruled they way he did. But Itachi refused to allow fear and power to corrupt his ethics. 

 

~*~

It had taken Sasuke longer to bring the rogue vampire in than Itachi thought it would, and when Sasuke did, he had been torn between the urge to laugh at his brother’s disheveled state and the guilt that he had allowed him to out. 

Sasuke’s shirt was almost torn in half and his cloak lay in shreds around his shoulders. The pants were cut in several different places, exposing parts of his legs and thighs. The other vampire also looked worse for the wear. His blond hair stood up in disarray while his clothes, like Sasuke’s had multiple tears in it. A large gash ran down the middle of the vampires black shirt—where some blood had crusted against it—and the bottom part of his left pant leg was missing. His face also had a large cut down his left cheek. 

Itachi sighed and reminded himself that it could have gone a lot worse. Sasuke could have brought him a corpse instead. Or worse, his little brother could have been the one dead at his feet. Relief finally swept through Itachi now that he had time to fully access Sasuke’s condition.

Five of Sasuke’s guards crowded around the rouge vampire with their weapons pointed at him. Itachi’s fingers moved along the armrest of his chair while he considered the situation and how to handle it. On one hand, it would be beneficial to have the guards stay. On the other, it might only make the vampire more hostile. 

“Sasuke, leave us.” Itachi leaned back in his chair and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. “And, please, take your guards with you.” 

“Sure, whatever you say.” Sasuke pulled the vampire forward and made him get down on his knees. “He’s all yours. Personally, I hope you dispose of him. The asshole gave us more trouble than he’s worth.”

“I’ll decide that for myself,” Itachi gently scolded, tapping his fingers against the side of his head. It looked to be a long night. 

When the room had finally cleared, Itachi took a moment to take in the vampire kneeling in front of him with his hands bound behind his back. Even through the dirt and minor injuries, over all he seemed fine. There were no signs of extreme pain, only pure defiance shown through in his eyes. 

The vampire looked at him cautiously. Itachi leaned forward in his seat, assessing the situation more. The feral look in the vampire’s eyes concerned him the most. If he didn’t tread the issue carefully, it wouldn’t take much for it all to go wrong. Despite what Sasuke suggested, he didn’t want to put this new vampire down if he didn’t have to. Killing had never been something he enjoyed, and no matter how much time past, Itachi had resigned himself with the knowledge that he never would learn to like or even tolerate it.

Clearing his throat, Itachi’s lips quirked up into a small welcoming smile. “I hear you’ve been quite the handful?”

“What the hell are you so happy about?” the vampire snarled. “Do you find this funny, asshole?”

“What is your name so I know what to call you by?” Itachi kept his smile even though he could feel his hackles rise over the tone of voice directed towards him. This vampire either didn’t know who he was or didn’t care. Either way could prove dangerous if he wasn’t careful. 

“Does it matter? If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not tell you my name if you’re going to kill me.” The vampire shook his head to move stray hairs away from his face but never broke eye contact with Itachi. “Get it over with and throw me in a ditch. That’ll solve your problem quick enough.”

“Who told you that I would kill you?” Itachi gently asked. 

“Let’s just say it was strongly implied.” The vampire moved back and forth on his knees, and bent forward, most likely to move his arms in a more comfortable position. “Yet I didn’t have a choice to become a monster. If you’re willing to punish me for something I had no choice in then we’re done here. Do it and get it over with.”

Itachi’s smile faltered. Sighing, his mouth tilted downward in thought. “I never said I’d kill you nor do I want to. If it was implied then that was a mistake on the part of my subjects. Had I wanted you dead, you would not be here right now. My brother is more than capable of doing so.”

“That bastard is your brother? I s’pose you two look similar enough, though you don’t seem as big of an asshole.” The vampire moved a couple inches forward on his knees and let out a shaky sigh. He rolled his shoulders forward before releasing them. For the first time the vampire calmed down a little. “If you don’t want me dead… Then what do you plan to do with me?”

“That all depends on you,” Itachi calmly answered. “I can’t allow you to keep killing innocent people, but I know how hard it can be to overcome the urge to feed. It’s not something that should be forced on anyone. Normally, something like this is done with the person’s permission and then they’re adjusted slowly to it with the vampire that turned them.”

“Yeah, well, normally doesn’t seem to apply here.” The vampire broke eye contact and looked away, his lips turning down. “And my name is Naruto.”

“Do you remember who turned you, Naruto?” Itachi softly asked. “If so, I will make sure the vampire is severely punished for what was done to you.”

Naruto looked up at Itachi and shook his head. “No, I didn’t even see his face. The voice was male, but that’s the only thing I can tell you. It’s the only thing I remember. He was gone by the time I woke up.”

Itachi rubbed his temple and sighed wearily. A voice wasn’t much to go on. Even if he had Naruto listen to every vampire he knew that would take a long time unless they managed to get lucky. He certainly couldn’t make any promises, which frustrated him more than anything. When something like this happened, it was his responsibility to deal with it accordingly. But the information given to him wasn’t much to go on. 

Frowning, Itachi stood up. “I will do my best to try to seek out this vampire, but I can’t promise you any quick results with other information. In the meantime, I’d like for you to stay here where I can watch you. You’ll be safe and others will be safe from you.”

“Where will I stay?” Naruto shifted his body on his knees. Itachi could tell he was becoming restless. “Will I be a prisoner?” 

“That will all depend on your cooperation. If you agree to stay willingly and follow my guidelines, then no, you will not be imprisoned.” Itachi watched Naruto’s expressions to see if he could anticipate his thoughts. But other than curiosity, he didn’t sense anything else from Naruto. “However, if you chose to cause problems and break any rules, I’ll be forced to hold you captive until I decide a suitable punishment for you.”

“And that’s where you figure out whether or not you want to kill me.” Naruto’s voice took on a wary tone once more. “I don’t even know you yet I’m to trust you with my life?” 

“Yes, Naruto, most likely if you cause too much trouble, I’ll be forced to put you down, but the punishment will fit the crime so if no one is harmed neither will you be harmed,” Itachi replied. “The choice is yours. As to whether or not you should trust me, that’s up to you. If you don’t want to be treated as an animal, then it’s up to you not to behave like one. I will do my best to help you out, but you must trust me and listen to what I tell you.”

“Do I have a choice?” Naruto narrowed his eyes like he expected for there to be a catch. 

“Of course you do.” Itachi walked closer until he stood only a couple feet away from Naruto. “There is always a choice. It only depends on what outcome you want to have. You can say no, and I promise I will make it quick and painless for you. Or you can [i]allow[/i] me help you and eventually it will get easier to deal with the hunger.”

“I’d rather live if you’re really giving me a choice,” Naruto hesitated for a moment before looking up at Itachi with determination in his eyes. “But if I can’t control this, I don’t want to keep hurting people either. Can I trust that you to make sure that doesn’t happen?”

. “Yes, you can trust me to make sure you don’t hurt anyone else. I’ll make sure of it one way or the other.” Itachi walked around Naruto and carefully undid the restraints. “For now, let’s get you cleaned up and something to eat.” Holding out his hand, he waited for Naruto to stood up and take it. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, a little.” Naruto shook his hand with a firm grip. “Okay, I agree to your terms, but if you screw me over—”

“I won’t. If you need anything from me or if there are any problems, you need to come to me first.” Itachi led Naruto towards the door. “After you’re fed I’ll show you to a room that will be close to mine.”

Itachi opened up the double doors and they headed down the hallway. He ignored the looks coming from the guards and felt Sasuke’s presence nearby. The next few weeks would be difficult, but he’d make it work. He had to. 

 

~*~

Itachi sat on his bed and listened to the sound of Naruto pacing back and forth outside his door, and briefly considered ignoring it until he gave up. He had almost been asleep and dawn was steady creeping up over the horizon. But he had promised to ease Naruto’s discomfort any way he could. If he backed out on it now, he would never forgive himself for breaking his word. He doubted Naruto would forgive him either. 

His eyes darted around his bedroom in an attempt to distract himself from the soft knocking sounds that had started. His bedroom didn’t have much. Only a decent sized bed, two wooden dressers, and table next to his bed. Sasuke had often tried to convince him to put more furniture in or to at least personalize it, but Itachi enjoyed the simplicity of the dark wooden accents and deep red bedding that matched the curtains covering the large window on the far end of the room.

Sighing, he stood up—the hardwood floors cool beneath his feet—and walked over to the door, slowly opening it. Naruto looked mildly surprised to see him. His hair was sweaty and matted against his face, and he had his arms wrapped around his waist. Itachi noticed that he was shivering a little even though it wasn’t cold. 

“Is there something I can help you with?” Itachi asked even though he already knew what Naruto wanted, what he needed. 

“The hunger… can you make it go away?” Naruto moved his hands up and down his biceps. “I tried to ignore it but it’s only getting worse.”

“Come in.” Itachi patiently waited for Naruto to listen to his invitation. 

Naruto stood there, his fingertips now digging into his arms. He walked into Itachi’s room and looked around. “Okay, thanks. I know this is last minute but—”

“It’s fine, Naruto. Don’t worry about it,” Itachi interrupted, holding up his hand. He quietly closed the door and turned around to face Naruto. “There are some things I should go over with you before you feed off me.”

“Like what?” Naruto’s eyes had taken on a deeper shade than earlier, and they almost looked purplish-red. If he didn’t feed soon, he would go feral again. “Are you going to tell me or what?”

“The effects from drinking my blood will be intense,” Itachi began, hoping his explanation would be enough. “And you may react in ways you don’t want. If you’d like, I can ask someone else, one of our humans, to come to you for the night.”

“No. No, that won’t work.” Naruto shook his head and his voice sounded more and more antsy with each passing second. “I might end up killing them. You won’t let me kill you, right? You can stop it from happening.”

Itachi noticed that Naruto had started to sweat, which probably explained why he seemed cold. He needed to calm Naruto down. Perhaps if he offered a suitable out it would work. “I would stay if I called someone to make sure they’d be alright. You don’t have to worry about that.” 

“Why can’t I drink from you? You said you would help me, and I’m coming to you.” Naruto’s voice became even more desperate and there was also a hint of exasperation in it. “What can be so bad about your blood?”

“My blood is potent,” Itachi carefully explained. “And addictive.”

“I’d still rather not have someone else come here for this, especially a human. They’re so fragile, Itachi.” Naruto’s voice broke and his shoulders sagged. Now he just looked worn out and defeated. “I can’t… I can’t do it again even if they’re willing.”

Sighing, Itachi took Naruto’s hand and led him over to the bed. He would have preferred a less intimate setting but couldn’t risk taking Naruto out of his bedroom at this point. If they ran into anyone in the hallway, it could be problematic. They both sat down, and he pulled his hair to the side, exposing his neck. 

“Try to go slow at first if you can,” Itachi instructed while pulling Naruto closer to him. “You won’t hurt me so don’t worry about that, but if you don’t drink to fast maybe that will help you control the effects better.”

When Naruto finally bit down, Itachi softly sighed. A familiar sting of pain that he had grown accustomed to over the years sent a shiver down his spine. He moved his fingers up Naruto’s shoulders and his hands pulled forward so that their bodies were flush against each other. Closing his eyes, Itachi embraced the feeling. It had been awhile since anyone had taken his blood, though, and he had almost forgotten what an intoxicating experience it was. It felt like fire shooting through him, burning him from the inside out. 

Blood trickled down on his shirt while Naruto drank from him in heavy gulps. Itachi moved up and felt his shoulder pop; dimly in the back of his mind, he tried to remind himself that Naruto was taking too much too fast. But the loud suckling noises lulled him. Even though he knew he should pull away, he didn’t. Instead, Itachi only moved his right hand up and threaded it through the thick blond hair below his line of sight and pulled Naruto closer to him. The act of providing relief for another vampire made him feel powerful and needed. 

Something hard brushed against his thigh. Itachi knew what was happening, yet he couldn’t form the words to tell Naruto to stop. He felt himself harden in response and shifted his body so that Naruto could feel his need. Then the swallowing stopped, though teeth were still lodged into his neck. The position became awkward with no movement and the pause with the feeding. 

Itachi craned his head back and looked down. Then Naruto’s eyes met his and widened in realization to what he had meant before. Itachi turned away, not wanting to see if the response ended with want or disgust. When Naruto pulled back, he did look, curious as to why the feeding stopped. 

“This is what you meant then.” Naruto no longer looked anxious but more calm and relaxed. 

“Yes.” Itachi moved his hips up so that he could bring Naruto’s attention back to where they were. “You good with this?” 

Naruto’s expression changed to something between thoughtful and aroused. Then he shrugged like the position they were in wasn’t a big deal. “Yeah, I’m good with this.”

Itachi pulled Naruto back to his neck and heard the sound of fabric tearing open. The action was so sudden that it startled him for a moment. He looked down, noticing long fingernails imbedded into his shirt. They stopped short of cutting his skin. Naruto quickly moved his arm out and ripped the remains of Itachi’s shirt off, pushing the shredded material from his chest. Itachi moved so that they were completely against each other. Reaching down his pants, Naruto’s warm hand moved around and then settled around his erection. 

His hand and Naruto’s met, covering both their cocks. Leaning up, he lightly bit down on Naruto’s bottom lip but not enough to break the skin and draw blood. Itachi needed to remain in control or at least attempt to. Naruto lapped at his neck and sunk his teeth in a few inches away from the other wound. 

The friction from Naruto’s cock against his and teeth sinking deeper into his neck made his legs shake and his thighs quiver. Itachi’s breaths quickened, and he moved his hips upwards. It was quick and fast, neither of them lasted long. Warmth splashed against his hand. When he pulled it back, he kept his hand cupped so nothing would spill on his bed sheets. 

Grabbing a tissue from the table, he wiped the semen off his hand and tossed it into the trash. Naruto still lay against him but Itachi managed without dislodging him. Blood still oozed from his neck at both wounds but it felt like the flow had at least slowed down. Some of it had fallen on the sheets. Itachi ran his left hand down his face and chuckled at the thought of being so concerned about getting cum on the bed while completely forgetting to wipe the blood off his neck. 

“Come on, get up.” Itachi nudged Naruto in the side with his finger. “I need to clean myself off.”

Naruto sat back, looking dazed for a moment before untangling himself from Itachi’s lap. “Is it like that feeding off of other vampires or only you?” He wiped a few stray drops of blood off his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing it across his cheek. 

“No, I’d imagine any one of my blood relatives would have the same or similar effect.” Itachi sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. “Possibly any vampires that were born into this and not turned.”

“So my blood wouldn’t do that?” Naruto propped himself up on his elbows and leaned his head back on his shoulders. 

Itachi stood up and steady his legs. He still felt a little shaky from the loss of blood. He had never had anyone take so much from him before. “No, it shouldn’t, which means you could find another vampire who would be willing to give and receive blood without worrying about any side effects.” 

“I don’t know… I don’t know if I want to share with anyone else.” Naruto look perplexed like the idea only now occurred to him. And perhaps it had. Feeding from humans didn’t have the same effect. It would nothing like taking blood from Itachi. Now that it happened once, he knew Naruto would keep coming back. “That was pretty damn intense, but I—it didn’t bother me.”

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out. In the meantime, I need to rest.” When Itachi went to move away from the wall, he stumbled forward and almost fell onto the floor. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Naruto asked, his eyebrows knitting together with worry. 

“I’m fine, Naruto.” Itachi reached out and grabbed the edge of the table next to the bed. Once he got a good grip on it, he leaned his body against the side and closed his eyes. “I’ll recover quickly. I only need a moment.” 

“You can have some of my blood if you want.” Naruto leaned forward on the palm of his hands, watching Itachi intently. “That’s what you need, right? To feed?” 

“It would be terribly counterproductive to take blood from you when that’s exactly why you came here.” Itachi picked another tissue out of the box and pressed it to his neck. “I can sleep it off and feed tomorrow.”

Naruto bit down on his arm, drawing blood. He stood up and cornered Itachi between the table and himself. “Here, take a little. You don’t have to feed for long if you don’t want to, but you should have something.”

Itachi narrowed his eyes and took Naruto’s arm into his hand while making sure to keep the tissue applied to his neck with his other hand. He pulled it up and licked a few stray droplets. Naruto’s blood tasted sweet. So he leaned in further and drank. The spark that he had felt earlier came back and burned inside of him, and he knew that if he prolonged it, he wouldn’t stop. The urge to take and the need to feed buzzed through him. But he pulled back and allowed Naruto’s arm to drop from his grasp. Itachi swallowed the remaining blood in his mouth. 

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Naruto grinned and rubbed around the teeth marks on his arm. 

“Don’t get too cocky. Remember, I’m here to help you not the other way around,” Itachi chided. “I won’t take too much from you.”

“I don’t feel worse for it.” Naruto shrugged while still holding onto his arm. “So, it’s fine if you need to. I didn’t mean to drink so much. It took me by surprise is all.” 

“Next time don’t wait so long before asking for help. If I wasn’t here tonight, what would you have done?” Itachi took the tissue away from his neck and disposed of it. 

“I don’t know, but it didn’t take me long to get to that point.” Naruto shuffled his feet, and the awkwardness of the conversation became even more apparent to both of them. “Will it ever get easier?” 

“Yeah, it’ll get easier.” Itachi slid away from the table and Naruto, walking into the small bathroom to wash up. 

Normally he’d consider a shower, but tonight he felt too exhausted. Pulling a towel out of the cabinet, he wet it, and began to wipe down his neck and chest. The small puncture wounds Naruto left had already begun to heal. Itachi finished cleaning the blood off of his body and tossed the towel into the hamper. Then he grabbed a second towel and wet it, thinking that. Naruto probably should clean up to before he left. 

Naruto was sitting down on his bed, watching him, when he came out of the bathroom. “Hey, can I… stay with you tonight?”

Itachi glanced back at Naruto, who looked nervous, most likely fearing rejection. Obviously, drinking from him had already begun to take its effects, and it was up to him to deal with it properly. The idea of tasting Naruto again tempted him also. Perhaps they could both explore that option more in the morning. But for now, he needed sleep. 

“Sure, if you’d like. My bed is big enough for two people.” Itachi held out the damp towel in his hand for Naruto to take. “Here, you can use this to clean off your arm and face.”

Naruto took the towel from Itachi and scrubbed at his face. When he pulled it away, there were red patch marks across his cheeks from the skin getting irritated. “Did I get it all?”

Itachi gently took the towel from Naruto’s hand and tossed it on the floor. “Yes.” He crawled onto the bed and lay down, closing his eyes. “Now get some sleep. It’s morning already.”

It took some shuffling around before they both found a comfortable position. Itachi ended up on his side, facing the door. Naruto’s lie close to his back, and he could feel warm breath across his neck and hear the soft sound of something that seemed like a cross between a moan and a light snore. Itachi watched bits of morning light creep across the floor and stop a few inches from the foot of his bed and smiled. The thought then occurred to him that this was something he could get used to. Closing his eyes, Itachi felt the first tugs of sleep pull him into a deep slumber.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an Itachi and Naruto swap fill in that took place on y!Gallery.


End file.
